A person who withdraws a credit card, driver""s license or like card from a card pocket in a wallet, sometimes forgets to replace the card in the card pocket. Systems have been developed that detect a missing card and sound a beep if the card has not been replaced when the wallet is closed. Such devices are commonly costly and add to the bulk of the wallet. Apparatus that reminded the person that the card was missing from its card pocket in the wallet, but which was very compact and of very low cost would be of value.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus is provided for use in a wallet or the like to indicate that a credit-card with a height of about 2.1 inches and length of about 3.3 inches, that has been removed from a pocket, has not been replaced. The apparatus includes walls forming pockets that lie one behind the other and that hold cards at progressively greater heights. A frontmost pocket has a bottom wall that is engaged by a fully inserted card. The pocket front wall has a top edge, and the card projects above the top edge. The rear wall of the pocket has an attention-getting display, or prompt, extending a plurality of millimeters above the top edge of the front wall. When a card lies in the frontmost pocket, the card covers the prompt. However, when the card does not lie in the wallet, the prompt is displayed to remind the person to return the card to the pocket.
The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.